About the Xylocopa sulcatipes
Xylocopa sulcatipes is a large Arabian carpenter bee. These multivoltine bees take part in social nesting and cooperative nesting. They are metasocial carpenter bees that nest in thin dead branches. One or more cooperating females build many brood cells. They have been extensively studied in Saudi Arabia and Israel.
X. sulcatipes is part of the subfamily Xylocopinae within the hymenopteran family Apidae. Xylocopinae is divided into four tribes: Allodapini, Ceratinini, Xylocopini, and Manueliini. The genus Xylocopa, composed of large carpenter bees, consists of about 469 species in 31–51 subgenera, and the species are found throughout the world. X. sulcatipes is part of the subgenus Ctenoxylocopa.
X. sulcatipes differs from other Arabian carpenter bees. Females are distinguishable by the presence of black pubescence (short matted hairs) on the face and the back side of the mesosoma. The mesoscutellum, or female middle body shield, does not extend over the metanotum, or middle thorax. The apical margin, the lower part of the abdomen, is rounded instead of squared off. They have a plate on their pygidium, their lowermost... Wikipedia →